This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Conveyor belts are widely used today in a variety of industrial applications. For example, conveyor belts are used for material handling and processing applications, as well as a variety of food processing systems.
Conveyor belts can include a belt assembly that extends continuously between separate stations and back. In some embodiments, the belt assembly can include rods. The rods can travel along a conveying direction during operation of the belt assembly. As such, the rods can support the foodstuffs, manufactured parts, or other objects that are disposed on the belt assembly, and the rods can convey those objects along the conveying direction.
The belt assembly can also include a linkage assembly with a plurality of links. The links can extend between and interconnect adjacent rods. The links can travel with the rods as the belt assembly travels along the conveying direction.
Moreover, the conveyor belt also typically includes a support structure that supports the belt assembly. The support structure can support the weight of the belt assembly and/or other loads from the belt assembly. As such, the support structure can prevent the belt assembly from collapsing under its own weight and/or under the weight of the objects being conveyed.